Representative Kim Williams has introduced House Bill 86, a bill that she has filed in the last two General Assembly sessions: a bill that provides full state funding for Special Education classes for Kindergarten through the 3rd grade. Unfortunately, while this bill has advanced out of committee in the past, it has never received a vote on the floor.
Given the large sponsorship of this bill, you would think that it has a great chance this time around. However, notice that there are only two Republican sponsors of this bill. I wonder why that is, but I don’t have to wonder too long.
| House Bill 86 Sponsors | Yes Votes | No Votes |
| K.Williams, Chukwuocha, Schwartzkopf, Longhurst, Mitchell, Bolden, Bush, Carson, Heffernan, Kowalko, Lynn, Matthews, S. Moore, Morrison, Osienski, Ramone, M.Smith, Wilson-Anton, Baumbach, Bennett, Bentz, Brady, Cooke, Dorsey Walker, Griffith, K. Johnson, Lambert, Minor-Brown | ||
| Poore, Sturgeon, Lockman, Paradee, Sokola, Townsend, Walsh, Ennis, Gay, Hansen, Mantzavinos, S. McBride | ||
| Current Status: House Education 1/27/21 |
Currently, basic special education is provided for students in fourth through twelfth grade who are identified as eligible for basic special education and related services.
The Fiscal Note on this bill is designated as “Incomplete,” so I imagine, as before, this bill will fly through the Education Committee and then get placed in the House Appropriations Committee. We can hope that with Representative Williams being on the Joint Finance Committee, funding for Special Ed in grades K-3 will finally get approval.
It is greatly needed.